Coffee and Cookies replaces Shouting and Violence
In Sacramento, each workday, a small group of protestors gather at the office of representative Doris Matsui. But this isn't the kind of protest we got used to in the 60's atteh height of the Vietnam War.
During Vietnam, protests sometimes became violent, like in Chicago or at Columbia University. Sometimes the military was brought in to squelch the dissent, like at Kent State. Almost certainly, the protestors were "tree huggin hippies" in their teens and 20's seemingly in a competition to see who can go the longest without bathing.
But not today in Sacramento. these protestors are older, much older. They are not radicalized hippies on dope. i don't think anyone fears any violence from them or will the national guard need to be summoned. They are what is being called "polite protestors.
They are merely sitting in. But they aren't disrupting or disturbing anyone or anything. In fact, sometimes they bring cookies. And from what reports say, the protestors and the staff have been getting along famously.
Of course, there is a point to the protest. They want to end the war. And they hope to influence Representative Matsui, considered a moderate, in hopes that this will influence other moderates on the GOP side of the fence.
Matsui tried to assuage the protesters during their third week with a 45-minute conference call from her Washington office. Late last month, she also met with them face-to-face.
Will sit-is such as this be a trend of the future? Will this, more effectively than any "right vs. left" news talk show, help end this mistake of a war and failure in policy? Real citizens, not just radicalized hippie college students peacefully interacting with members of congress and their staff. I sure hope so. Furthermore, I hope others follow down this path. Sit ins at congressional offices. Coffee and donuts while civilly discussing the war. Cookies and milk bringing on a positive change in direction. Again, I sure hope so. After all, the majority of this country is opposed to this war and our direction in it. It would be nice if more protests and sit ins reflected that rather than looking like a rerun of "Woodstock, The Movie." The opposition to this war crosses ethnic, gender, party, religious and just about any other line that can be drawn. The pundits of this war have contended that this war is only opposed by those "whack-job liberals" and other tree-huggin peaceniks, and that is simply not the case.
And if you do decide to try your hand at "polite protesting" instead of going "old school", remember to bring some cookies!
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